


Song of the Heart, Shape of the Soul

by appending_fic



Series: Hearts, Minds, and Souls [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Daemon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-18
Updated: 2011-11-18
Packaged: 2017-10-26 06:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/279812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appending_fic/pseuds/appending_fic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A daemon settles when a human discovers who they are. Some drabbles reflecting on the Glee cast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Song of the Heart, Shape of the Soul

Ruby is an outspoken, brilliantly-colored flamingo. Coach Sylverster mocks Mr. Schue's tendency to clash with Ruby's feathers as much as she does Mr. Schue's hair, but is unwilling to clash with the pink bird directly. Kurt thinks it's because Ruby is unashamed, untouchable by any of Coach Sylvester's tricks. Or perhaps, it's because the bird has the sharp tongue Mr. Schue does not.

Rumor has it she settled when Mr. Schuester asked his ex-wife to marry him. If it's true, Kurt could imagine the man regretting who he'd become, or even wondering if he didn't fit with Ruby any more.

She is watching Kurt with sharp eyes now, and he shifts uncomfortably under the gaze. If Mr. Schue doesn't want him here, she'll be the one to tell him, he knows. "Mr. Schuester, I know this has been hard. It's been hard on everybody. I just want you to know I know you can get us past this."

Mr. Schuester gives him a defeated look. "Thank you, Kurt, but I think Coach Sylvester's got us beat this time."

"Really?" Kurt asks. "What if I told you her secret weakness?"

There is a pause, and Mr. Schue stares blankly at Kurt. "...Kurt. I don't think sinking to Coach Sylvester's level is really going to help us."

"I don't mean playing dirty," Kurt insists, leaning across Mr. Schue's desk. "Look. Coach Sylvester is fearless. Do you remember when she met Ann Coulter?" Kurt hopes so; the sight of six police officers dragging Coach Sylvester, still screaming at Richard (a four-hundred-pound lion that had reduced war journalists to tears), from the television studio, will live with him forever.

"Yes," Mr. Schue says uncertainly.

"She's terrified of your dæmon, Mr. Schue. There's a part of you - some tiny part you pretend you're ashamed of - that can take Coach Sylvester on. I mean, look at Ruby! Have you heard Coach Sylvester, even once, mock the fact that your dæmon is...really, really gay?" He takes a hurried step back rather than face the possibility of Ruby trying to bite him, but the flamingo instead gives him an approving look.

It's quite possibly the weirdest sight he's ever seen.

~~~

Victor is a koala. For anyone who has met both Jean and Coach Sylvester, it makes perfect sense. For anyone with no sense of self-preservation and no understanding of zoology, it is an opening to the last mistake they'll ever make.

Koalas may be adorable, but Coach Sylvester, too, is attractive. And both...are capable of ripping your face off. Not that Kurt believes the rumors that Victor once tore a running back's testicles off.

Kurt thinks he might be the only person other than Jean who's ever seen the other side to this. After Jean's funeral, he saw Coach Sylvester hugging Victor to her, face buried in his fur. He never told another soul, because he knows better than to expose what a person is in front of their dæmon.

~~~

Kurt has known Artie for almost all of high school, but it isn't until the graduation party that he finally gets it. He corners Artie away from the rest of the party, but once he does, he realized how awkward and intrusive this is.

"Can I ask you something really personal?" he blurts.

Artie raises one eyebrow. "I might not answer." He doesn't sound annoyed, so Kurt lets out a relieved breath.

"Sirena. She...everyone assumes she's a penguin because she can't fly."

Artie snorts. "Not hard to make that connection."

"She's a penguin because what she can do...she does better than anyone. Am I right?"

Artie stares at Kurt for a long moment before he meets Kurt's eyes and gives him a wide grin.

~~~

The first time Kurt sees Lord Tubbington change shape in class, he nearly spits out his coffee. The cat was crouched on Brittany's shoulder, watching Santana's Regina circle the chorus room, only to launch into the air after her when Kurt enters the room. Kurt knows the transformation from cat to canary is impossible, but he can't deny what's in front of his eyes.

Santana flips her air and gives Kurt a sharp glare when he asks her about it later. "So what? It's Brittany."

Kurt almost retorts, but then thinks for half a second and nods slowly along with Santana. Brittany believes in Santa Claus; he doesn't doubt she never learned that her dæmon is supposed to settle. It almost makes sense, too, given her fluttery personality.

But as time passes, and they all grow up, Lord Tubbington changes less and less, and finally, one winter afternoon during senior year, she walks into Glee club in tears. Lord Tubbington soars in after her, in the shape of a barn owl. Santana is the first to her side. "Okay, who the hell do I need to cut, Brittany?"

"It's Lord TUbbington!" Brittany wails. "He's been like this all day!"

Santana shoots the rest of the Glee club a desperate stare, silently demanding they fix it. Rachel is the first to step forward.

"Brittany, this is...when people grow up, their dæmons stop changing. It's perfectly normal; all of ours stopped-" She stops, biting her lip before she can say 'ages ago,' Kurt suspects.

"It means you really know who you are, honey," Mercedes adds.

"I remember when Rico stopped changing," Rachel declares. "I was six and knew I was going to be a star." The peacock next to her flutters his tail haughtily, and Kurt strains to avoid rolling his eyes.

"I thought..." Brittany looks at Lord Tubbington morosely, trailing a hand along his feathers. "He'd be a unicorn."

Kurt's heart catches and he's by Brittany's side, arms wrapped around her shoulders. "Oh, Brittany. You are a unicorn; you don't need your dæmon to tell people that. But Lord Tubbington..." He glanced at the owl, who fluttered his feathers and fixed too-wide eyes on Kurt. "Brittany, you might not be...the best at...school stuff. But you are so wise sometimes. You don't have to use big words to do it, but you see things none of us can, make it all seem easy-"

He stops because Brittany is returning the hug so he can't breathe, sobbing into his shoulder and thoroughly ruining his sweater. He pats her back awkwardly and raises his head; the rest of the Glee club is watching him with something akin to awe, although Santana looks pissed, jealous, he supposes. He gives her a helpless look - what is he supposed to do, push Brittany off?

After that, Brittany walks through the halls with new-found confidence, Lord Tubbington perched imperiously on her head, watching the crowds with watchful, wise eyes. And Santana admits, once, that Kurt isn't nearly as much of a pussy as she thought.

~~~

Harold had, in Kurt's youth, spent much of his time in the shape of a lion, trailing after Arsenius much in the same way Kurt trailed after his mother. When she died, Harold retreated. Kurt had known, distantly, what people said about boys whose dæmons were boys, but when he didn't have his mother to support him anymore, Harold stopped taking shapes that were distinguishably male. He favored reptiles and the occasional bird that had little difference between the male and female (he couldn't help but feel kinship with Artie when he first saw the other boy's penguin dæmon). Even at home, he preferred the shape of a parrot, which looks little different from a girl parrot.

Because after his mother died, Kurt began hiding. He knew he was different; he knew the rumors about dæmons were true for him. But he wanted to avoid confronting it, because it would be hard on him, and harder on his father, who shouldn't have to deal with the pain of seeing his son being tormented.

One morning, however, Kurt wakes up to find Harold perched on his bedstand, wearing a brilliant red shade and an unmistakable crest. Kurt stares at his dæmon for a long time, trying to understand what he's seeing, and then he laughs. It isn't a panicked laugh, but a relieved, exuberant one. This - he can't hide anymore, and it isn't because of something anyone else had done. Some part of him has decided to stop it and just announce himself. He holds out a hand, and Harold leaps onto it and lets out a cheerful twitter.

"You...think it's the right time?" Kurt asks softly.

Harold tilts his head inquisitively. "When else?" he retorts. "When you're in college? When you graduate? When you've dumped a dozen boyfriends because you won't tell anyone else about them?"

"I - I'd never!" Kurt protests, and Harold laughs in response.

"And this way, you never will," he says, winking.

Kurt laughs and when he shows up downstairs preceeded by the triumphant trilling of his dæmon, Burt looks up from his coffee, eyes fixed on the delighted bird. Lily pokes her head out from under the table, tongue lolling at the sight of Kurt practically prancing into the kitchen.

"Son, are you all right?"

"Perfect, Dad. Lovely. Amazing." Kurt steps close on impulse and hugs his father as tightly as he can. Burt starts in surprise before returning the embrace. They stand like that for nearly a minute before Burt pushes Kurt away, an odd smile on his face.

"What brought this on, Kurt?"

Kurt takes a deep breath. "I'm gay, Dad."

"Damn straight!" Harold agrees as he circles the two.

Burt stares, and as the moment stretches on, Harold alights uncertainly on top of the refrigerator. Kurt swallows, feeling the impossible lightness of a moment ago fading.

But then he's in his father's arms. "I know, son. And I'm so proud of you. And...God, son. Seeing your face - I haven't seen you this happy since your mother died." His voice cracks and then the two of them are sobbing in the kitchen, until Kurt has to go to school.

But he still goes with a song in his heart (and from Harold's beak).

**Author's Note:**

> I...am a sucker for fusions, and His Dark Materials is one of my favorites to fuse. I find the whole "dæmon as puberty" thing a little weird, so I was exploring an alternative theory. I'd love to hear your thoughts!


End file.
